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Posted on 07/23/2012 4:20:30 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Despite the mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater during a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," the film took in about $162 million in North America over the weekend.
Warner Bros. announced it would hold off reporting the film's opening grosses until Monday, but the information was leaked to several media outlets Sunday.
"Out of respect for the victims and their families," the studio said in a statement to ABC News. "Warner Bros. Pictures will not be reporting box office numbers for 'The Dark Knight Rises' throughout the weekend. Box office numbers will be released on Monday."
James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire on unsuspecting moviegoers Friday during a sold-out midnight screening of the new "Batman" film at a mall in Aurora, Colo., killing 12 people and injuring 58 others. Police said the alleged shooter was wearing a gas mask and was dressed in body armor.
"My heart aches and breaks for the lives taken and altered by this unfathomably senseless act," said Anne Hathaway in a statement, according to People Magazine. Hathaway plays Catwoman in the film. "I am at a loss for words how to express my sorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
"Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them," Christian Bale, who plays Bruce Wayne/Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises," said in a statement Saturday.
Christopher Nolan, director of "The Dark Knight Rises," called the mass shooting a "senseless tragedy."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
The studio does not plan to pull the movie from theaters, but canceled the Paris premiere of the film after learning about the shooting. Nolan and cast members Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Morgan Freeman also scrapped media interviews.
FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN THE STRICTLY BUSINESS VIEWPOINT:
* Much of the weekend has been pre-sold; the movie made $30 million in presale tickets and shows in many cities are sold out through Sunday
* Some box-office analysts previously believed the final installment of director Christopher Nolan’s trilogy could top the record-breaking, $207.4 million debut of “The Avengers.”
* Only five movies in history at this point have done a $150 million or more opening weekend
* “The Dark Knight,” the second movie in Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy (with Heath Ledger’s award winning role as the Joker), made $158 million during its 2008 opening weekend.
It was a terrific movie. I liked the digs against the ideals of the occupy wall street crowd too.
Why would the shooting detract from the box office? As they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
But isn't it time someone pointed out that for years Chicago has had the same number of gun deaths in an average weekend as occurred in this incident?
I saw it on Sunday. I thought it was a really good movie. I’m not going to change my life due to some crazy a-hole.
I agree. Bane was clearly an OWS type.
Same here.
Technically, no. He USED the OWS type of argument as a tool. The goal was always the destruction of Gotham City. Remember, he helped “steal” the money at the exchange only as a tool to help destroy Wayne.
And Bane exploited those that always clamor for punishing the so-called 1%.
And Bane exploited those that always clamor for punishing the so-called 1%.
Sure, good way to build a quick army. But hey, just releasing them from prison was good enough. lol
And didn’t the guys who where on the other side of those Wayne trades make out okay? I bet they were 1% folk. Or did Daggart get it all? They weren’t too clear. But I’ve only seen it once.
The League of Shadows released all the crazies from Arkham too when they were going to gas the city.
Gotta admit, a nuke is a better idea. The plot line about the bomb being a fusion reactor first was thin IMO.
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